No Love
by emmerlii
Summary: Set on the slopes of Mount Doom. No Slash. Completed.


"**No Love"**

Two hobbits walked further and further into darkness. Nearing the end of their quest they were. They had no idea if they would ever return back to their Shire; the green land they had once knew. All they remember seeing is dirt, grime and blackness. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee; these two Hobbits would become legends all over Middle Earth after their quest, though, at the time, all they cared about was destroying the Ring, Sauron's Ring.

The great Volcano, Oroduin, grew ever nearer, when suddenly, under the weight of the Ring that had hung around his neck for nigh on a year, Frodo's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Sam was by his side to comfort his Master, and do everything he could to regain any strength buried deep within his master's frail body, and his own.

"Come on, Mr. Frodo, not long now, just a bit further. Do you remember the Shire? It'll be spring soon. The birds will be nesting in the Hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the Summer Barley in the lower fields, and eating strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries Mr. Frodo?" Sam's eyes were sore from the dust that blew all around Mordor. It became ever thicker as they slowly became nearer to Mount Doom. The tears that fell from Sam's face stung as his eyes were so dry, his mouth like sand paper from lack of water. He really felt this would be the last night the two of them would ever see. His hope of returning to the Shire was gone, but he would never, for the life of him, let his Master Frodo know that.

_Why me?_ Frodo thought to himself as he lay snuggled up to Sam. He tried to hold his tears in, keep the last, dismal remaining hope so that Sam wouldn't think him a weakling, or worse, lose all faith and hope himself.

"No Sam, I'm afraid I can't recall the taste of food, nor the sound of water, or the touch of grass. There's no veil between me and the wheel of fire. I can see him, even with my waking eyes. I don't know how much longer I can do this, Sam. I feel as if there is no love left in the world. That it's been sucked away and all that is left is hatred and war." Sam moved Frodo up into a standing position and let him rest on his soldier. "Do we have any water left?" Frodo asked after a few minutes.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Frodo. Not even a drop. I would get you some, but who knows what fell things lie in these waters. I wouldn't want to poison you." Sam's head hung low. His master wanted water, and he had no idea what to do about that. There was no clean drinking water that Frodo could drink. He was already terribly frail and unhealthy from lack of food, and giving him rotten water, Sam feared, would end Frodo's life altogether. There was no way Sam wanted to have that to live with for the rest of his life.

"It's all right, Sam. Maybe when we get out of here, we'll be able to find some water." Frodo said lightly. He didn't want Sam to think that he thought they were never to leave Mordor. But, in all truth, Frodo's hope and faith of ever returning to the Shire, the place he had once called home, had long diminished.

"Mr. Frodo, we must go. I don't want to push you, but we must be getting a move on. I'll carry you if I need to I hope I'm not being too forward. We must be going now." Sam stood up and held out his hand for Frodo to take, but Frodo only looked at it. He didn't move. Sam sat back down next to his master. They couldn't move yet. Frodo was not ready. Sam didn't know which was worse for Frodo; physically exhausted, or mentally. He hated seeing his Master, his best friend in such a state, completely broken and weary. Sam thought back to the very first time he had met Frodo Baggins; the very first day young Frodo had moved into Bag End. Sam had no idea that that Hobbit would have to go through all of the trials and tribulations and not being able to do a thing about it broke Sam's heart so much.

"It's like a great weight Sam." Frodo began after a few minutes. "As we... get closer to the Eye and the Cracks of Doom, it pulls on my neck. It cuts into me Sam. It feels like it's strangling me. It pulls me ever closer to the ground." He sat looking thinner than ever. Frodo looked so physically exhausted that it broke Sam's heart deeply. What would happen once this Quest was over? What would happen once they destroyed the Ring? Would everything be okay? Would things return back to normal? What would happen to Frodo? Sam knew little of what struggles his master was going though, but he had a feeling that the damage they cause may very well be irreversible.

He thought for a moment when suddenly, a new strength, a new will of power took hold of him. Almost like the usual humble Samwise Gamgee had been banished and this new, braver, bigger, bolder Samwise Gamgee had come out. "Then let us be rid of it, once and for all! Come on Mr. Frodo. I can't carry the ring for you, but I can carry you!" This new strength willed Sam to pick up Frodo. And he did so with ease, which frightened Sam terribly. Before he had picked him up, he knew his master was drawn, but he hadn't realized that Frodo had become this light. _If we can accomplish this dreaded Quest, if I can get my Mr. Frodo back to safety then everything will be all right. I can't let my master suffer any longer! It just breaks my heart!_

Sam trudged up and up the dirty slopes of Mount Doom with Frodo in his arms hoping to get this last deed of their Quest over and done with and hope that maybe, sometime soon they would be reunited with their friends.


End file.
